Don't Try the Noodles

Chapter 02

Chapter 02

Caleb

Even though I made sure to leave the house by 9 a.m.—which is way earlier than my typical wake-up time during summer break—I still manage to arrive at my older brother's apartment around noon. I knew Freer City would be far from home, but I didn't think it'd be a three-hour-long drive far. I suppose I'm mainly to blame since I did get lost a few times trying to find Joel's place. He lives in a particularly crowded and busy part of the city, and I'm horrible with directions.

Looking on the bright side, the great length I had to travel to get here does further secure the thought that I have finally made it out of my parents' house. Hello to freedom! And freedom includes being able to leave my socks wherever without an angry Italian mother coming after me with a pasta spoon. I still love you, mom.

After securing a decent parking spot in front of Joel's apartment building, I walk up to the second floor and knock on his door. The last time I saw him was during Christmas, by which time I had yet to receive my acceptance letter to Freer University and had no idea I would even be able to move here six months later. Naturally, Joel hadn't given me his spare keys back then.

Completely expecting to see my brother's face, I'm surprised when the door opens, and I'm met with an unfamiliar older man. For a second, I panic, thinking I screwed up Joel's address for the fourth or fifth time today. However, the man looks a little too delighted to see me for us to be total strangers.

"Caleb, right?" he asks more as a greeting than for confirmation. At least this means I got the address correct.

"Yeah. Um, hi. Where's Joel?"

"He hopped in the shower a few minutes ago. He'll be out soon. Come on in."

I enter the two-bedroom apartment and leave my shoes at the door. As unsanitary as Joel can be, not wearing shoes in the house is one habit he has faithfully kept since moving out five years ago. When it comes to other clean habits our mom had tried to instill in us from a young age—Well, the pile of worn clothes stacked on the sofa and the random items thrown about on the coffee table speak for themselves.

Despite the mess, seeing how spacious the place is even with all the expensive furniture and décor is still impressive. An apartment of this size in a populous city like Freer cannot have come cheap. Joel's modeling career really must be as successful as he has bragged about.

While this is all good to see, it still doesn't answer the question of who this man now seated across from me in the living room is. He's staring at me with a great sparkle in his eyes. It is pretty uncomfortable, honestly.

"When Joel told me you were just a slightly shorter version of himself, he wasn't kidding. Handsome genes must run in the family."

"Um, thank you," I reply out of courtesy.

Model or not, no younger sibling really likes to be told they look like their older sibling. We are not inferior copies!

Before the man gets the chance to say anything else, I have to ask, "I'm sorry, but who are you exactly?"

The man almost looks offended. Luckily, his expression quickly softens to that of amusement. "Oh? Joel said he already told you about me, but I guess he forgot to show you a picture. He can be so simpleminded sometimes. I'm Mattias. Matt for short."

My eyes widen at the sudden familiarity. "Mattias, as in the Mattias who owns The Monolith?"

He nods proudly. "The one and only. But I prefer to be called Matt."

I immediately go into respectful mode. "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you sooner! I never got the chance to properly thank you for letting my band play at your bar next month."

"Nah, don't worry about it. Joel played me some of your songs the other day. You guys have a lot of potential to make it big. It's my pleasure to help out my boyfriend's talented little brother."

"B-Boyfriend?" I stammer.

"Hey, I didn't tell him that part yet!" Joel shouts, entering the living room with a towel over his wet brown hair.

"Oh, whoops." Matt shrugs unapologetically. "Looks like I saved you the trouble then."

Joel turns to me with a crooked grin. "I hope you're okay with this..."

Now it's my turn to shrug. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be? I'm just kind of mad you didn't tell me."

"We've only been dating for two weeks, so I never got the chance." Joel nervously tugs at a strand of damp hair, not knowing where to look anymore. "I was planning on telling you today, if it wasn't for someone."

Matt gets up from his armchair with his hands up like a criminal. "Well then, before I accidentally say more things that'll get me into trouble, I should go. See you tonight, babe."

Joel follows Matt to the door. The two share a brief kiss which I pretend not to see more for his sake than mine. I have run into Joel having deeper kisses with girls on our parents' front porch in the past, but he never looked as self-conscious as he does right now. If he really thinks I'll be uncomfortable with the fact that he's in a gay relationship, some serious convincing otherwise is called for.

Once it's just Joel and me, he quietly sits down where Matt once was but avoids making eye contact. "Hey, I really hope you're okay with, you know, Matt and me."

I sigh. "I told you, I seriously am. Don't you remember how cool I was when you came out to me as bisexual back in high school?"

"Yeah, I know. It's just that this is my first gay relationship. I don't want you to be all weirded out by it."

"Joel, you being bisexual means you can date men too."

He finally lets out a relieved smile to my own relief. "Thanks for being so accepting, Caleb. Just so you know, you're the best little bro a bisexual man can ask for."

I smirk, allowing my wittier self to take control of my next words. "And you'd be the best bisexual older brother a heterosexual guy can ask for if you help me unload all the stuff from my car already."

"Oh, right!" Joel says as if he's just realized why I'm here. "Let's get to that, little bro."

He stands up and carelessly tosses his used towel on the clothes pile beside me. I now see that other discarded towels have been sandwiched within it as well. I can't help shaking my head on our mom's behalf.

The two of us head out of the apartment to my car. As we're moving all of my stuff in, I begin to settle myself into my new parent-less home. It is seriously going to be an awesome summer.